Christians, embrace the LGBTQ. It’s about time.
LETTERS LETTERS@USATODAY.COM
By accepting the case of the Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a samesex couple, the Supreme Court is opening up the possibility that an arbitrary religious belief might be used to sanction discrimination and refusal of service to a citizen.
Religious freedom is a foundational principle of our country, something we should all hold sacred. However, when one person’s beliefs turn into actions that trample on the dignity of another, freedom of religion morphs into deified discrimination.
While I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of Jack Phillips’ religious beliefs, they are, in fact, arbitrary, and increasingly less prevalent within the Christian church as more of us welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer congregants.
Unfortunately, America has a long history of people using religion to legitimate abhorrent and blasphemous treatment of others.
Those yelling loudest for this “religious freedom” are captives to fear. They fear the way it will affect religion as they see more people of faith realize that supporting LGBTQ equality is part of being faithful this century. Rev. Paul Raushenbush Auburn Seminary New York
A Supreme Court ruling for Jack Phillips would not open a “Pandora’s box” of issues. Our courts have long settled the question of racial discrimination. Moreover, declining to create a cake for a same-sex wedding is fundamentally different from our shameful past of racial segregation, in which an entire group was excluded from certain businesses. Phillips would happily serve LGBTQ customers; he just doesn’t want to create a cake that celebrates what he disagrees with.
The only question here is whether Jack has a First Amendment right protecting him from being forced to proclaim a message he disagrees with. As an individual facing down a contrary view held by the government, he is who our Bill of Rights was precisely designed to protect. Travis S. Weber Center for Religious Liberty Washington, D.C.